Introductions
by Allie02
Summary: Five ways Teyla Emmagan and Cameron Mitchell may meet. Indirect spoilers for SG1 season 10's Pegasus Project.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: There will be five of these eventually - kind of a Five Ways Teyla and Cameron Meet story, so each chapter is a separate ficlet and not a continuation of the previous one._

He breathes deeply as the door slides open, the sea air hitting his senses sharply. It isn't until he is halfway along the pier that he notices her neat pile of clothing at the end. Scanning the horizon quickly, he sees that she has stopped, her head and shoulders just visible above the water as she tries to ascertain the identity of her visitor. Deciding that she is too far away to identify him, Cameron turns quickly and heads back into the city.

"You could have stayed. I would not have minded." He looks up from his tray to see Teyla gazing down at him with an amused expression. He stands abruptly, wiping his hand on his shirt before holding it out.

"Cameron Mitchell. It's a pleasure to finally meet you, Teyla."

She accepts his hand with a smile, surprising him with the warmth of her skin. "May I join you, Colonel Mitchell?"

"Of course." They sit down, Cameron lifting his fork once more before realising that she doesn't have a tray. "You're not eating?"

She shakes her head as she replies, "We are due to leave for our mission soon. I merely wished to introduce myself before we left. I have already spoken to the other members of your team, but seem to keep missing you."

"Yeah. About earlier. I didn't realise you were out there, I was just looking for a moment's peace and quiet. Dr. McKay mentioned that that part of the city was uninhabited, so I didn't expect to run into anyone there. I didn't mean to disturb you."

"You did not. I was about to come back to the platform when I saw you."

He almost wishes that he had stayed now. He averts his eyes when he realises that she has guessed what he is thinking and is watching him with a small smile.

"Um, yeah. Things have been kind of overwhelming since we first got here. I just needed some time on my own."

"I understand." From the weary look on her face he realises that she does, and only too well. Whatever he was feeling earlier must pale in comparison to what it feels like to live in this wonderful, bustling but claustrophobic city.

He is about to ask her a question, anything to keep her seated opposite him, before he hears an indistinct voice through her radio. "I am on my way, Colonel." She glances at him apologetically before getting to her feet.

"I am afraid that I must leave, our mission has been brought forward. Perhaps we can continue our conversation when I return?"

"Sure. Have a safe trip."

She starts to turn away before pausing and glancing back at him. "I have never seen anyone in that area of the city before. If you were to return, I doubt that you would be disturbed. At least, not by anyone other than me."

He smiles as he watches her retreat, hoping that it is less of a casual suggestion and more of a promise on her part.


	2. Chapter 2

"It's like driving past a car crash. You really don't wanna look, but you just can't help it."

She glances to her side to try and ascertain the identity of her companion, and is rewarded with a grin as he turns to face her. "You must be Teyla. Cameron Mitchell."

She is about to take his outstretched hand into hers when a loud cry of exasperation from the other side of the room grabs their attention. "No! You're wrong!"

"No, _you're_ wrong!"

This time, Teyla doesn't bother to hide the smile that has been playing on her lips since she first entered the room and caught Rodney and Sam in the midst of a heated discussion over the capability of the latest naquadah generators. Her shoulder brushes Cameron's arm as she turns to face the sparring duo, and she finds her body reacting to his as he shakes with laughter. A lull in the scientists' remonstration results in their attention being caught by the stifled noises of amusement from their visitors.

"Cam...is there something funny about naquadah generators that you'd like to discuss?" His grin fades as he recognises the dangerous tone of Sam's voice.

"Yes, Teyla, perhaps you would like to share with the rest of the class? Hmm?" She immediately adopts a neutral expression as Rodney folds his arms and glares at her. She feels Cameron's fingers wrap lightly around hers as he bends down to whisper in her ear, "Quick, retreat!"

They back out of the room slowly, barely allowing the door to slide shut before succumbing to the laughter. Behind them, they hear the entrance to the lab begin to open, and Teyla instinctively grabs Cameron's hand before racing down the corridor. They finally come to a halt at the transporter, Rodney's voice still echoing through the hallways.

Slumping against the wall, she looks up to see Cameron watching her with an amused expression. "I suppose it could've been worse. At least we didn't bring Dr. Lee with us."

"And we should be grateful that Dr. Zelenka was not present."

He chuckles, still watching her as they recover from their exertions. "So...is there anywhere in particular that you like to go to escape the mad scientists?"

She smiles, reaching for the screen as she replies, "As a matter of fact, there is."

"Cool. My own personal tour guide." He can't resist resting his hand lightly on the small of her back as the door opens and she leads him out into the city.


	3. Chapter 3

"It's about a half hour flight to the mainland. Teyla says that they've made way too much food anyway, so a few extra mouths won't make any difference."

"Well, if you're sure that she won't mind..." Cameron couldn't help being sceptical at John's suggestion of gate-crashing the Athosian celebration, unsure of the kind of welcome that they would receive.

"She won't. She's invited half the city anyway; the other half are on active duty, else they would be there too. I'll say one thing for the Athosians, they sure know how to throw a party. And you guys deserve to celebrate after what you've just pulled off."

An hour later they walked side by side down the ramp behind the rest of their team members. Cameron watched in amusement as several Athosian children crowded around John, having seen the puddlejumper fly over the encampment. He took the opportunity to break away from the group, taking in the sights and sounds of the planet. He could already hear the music and laughter filtering through the tree line, and increased his pace to match the rhythm. He soon outstripped the others, using the volume of the music to determine his direction.

He came to a halt as he stepped into the clearing, his mouth curving into a smile as he took in the scene before him. Men and women twirled past him in time to the music played on instruments that he had never seen but still looked familiar.

"Colonel Mitchell, I take it?"

He turned to face the owner of the voice, readily accepting the glass of wine that she was offering. "Thank you...Teyla. And thank you for the invite. It seems like you guys are having a great time."

"Indeed we are, I am glad that you could join us. And I hear that congratulations are in order."

"Ah, it was nothing," he replied with feigned modesty.

"Not for you, no, seeing as Sam and I did all the work!"

Teyla turned to see Rodney emerge from the trees. "Rodney, it is good to see you. Ronon has been busy tasting all of the dishes to ensure that they are free of citrus for you."

"Really? I should go and find him then." Sam and Daniel shared a smile as they watched him hurry towards the seating area where the food was being served.

"Teyla, this is Lieutenant Colonel Samantha Carter, Doctor Daniel Jackson and Teal'c. And I see that you've already met Lieutenant Colonel Cameron Mitchell. This is Teyla Emmagan." Having made the introductions, John lead the group further into the clearing, Teyla and Cameron trailing behind the others.

They paused briefly to allow some of the dancing couples to pass without breaking their rhythm, and Cameron took the opportunity to lean closer and ask, "So, you think that you can teach me to do that? It looks like fun."

She raised an eyebrow, turning to face him before replying. "Very well. But I should warn you that it will take some time for you to master the routine."

He smirked. "Trust me, I'm a quick learner."

"We shall see." His smile widened as she continued on her way, glancing back at him in amusement. _Definitely glad we came_, he thought as he followed.


	4. Chapter 4

His name is Lieutenant James Watson and the first that Cameron sees of him is when Major Lorne and Sergeant Stackhouse stumble out of the wormhole, clutching the Lieutenant's limp body between them. The rest of their colleagues, including one half of Colonel Sheppard's team, emerge seconds later with their backs to the gate room and their weapons still firing into the horizon. The ensuing chaos is all too familiar to him even if the people and surroundings are not.

He watches helplessly as various members of the expedition shout orders with a proficiency that reveals that they too are more experienced in these situations than they would like. He doesn't miss the anger and frustration that emanate from the two natives of the Pegasus galaxy that he has yet to be formally introduced to, both barely acknowledging Dr. Weir's request for an immediate debriefing before stalking past him and into her office.

With his team mates and the city's senior staff otherwise occupied, Cameron takes the opportunity to continue his explorations before returning to the balcony that he had had passed earlier, one that had offered an extensive view of Atlantis. He has already taken a step onto the platform before he notices the lone figure at the far end. She doesn't move, and he hesitates for a moment before slowly approaching her.

"Hey."

She turns reluctantly to face him, one hand retaining it's tight grip on the railing as the other falls to her side. "Colonel Mitchell. Please accept my apologies for earlier -"

"Don't worry about it. Believe me, I understand." He returns her unflinching gaze as she tries to gauge his sincerity. Content in the knowledge that he does appreciate her feelings, Teyla turns her attention to the sea once more.

"How is he?"

"Dr. Beckett says that he will make a full recovery."

"That's good." He sighs, resting his elbows on the cool metal as his eyes feast on the sight of the immense city below them. "It's not your fault, you know."

"You were not there," she replies icily.

"I didn't have to be. I've seen enough of what goes on around here to know that none of you were to blame." His confidence surprises her, and he is pleased to see her fists relax slightly against the metal railing. It is several minutes before he hears her voice again.

"We should have been more careful."

"Shoulda, woulda, coulda...at the end of the day, he's still alive. And so are you. That's all that matters."

Her mouth twitches as she turns to face him. "Are you always likes this?"

"You mean wise beyond my years? Yes, yes I am."

"Those are not the words that I had in mind." He can't help but smile at the hint of amusement in her voice as her hands finally leave the railing. As he turns to watch her leave, Cameron has to remind himself that while there may be some sights and sounds in this galaxy that are all too familiar, there are many that are not. And he has always been in favour of new experiences.


	5. Chapter 5

_A/N: Assuming that The Pegasus Project never happened, or that Teyla visited Earth before that episode took place..._

The first thing that Cameron notices when he finally opens his eyes is the grey fabric covering standard issue boots that stand perilously close to his head. The colour is familiar but it takes him a few moments to place. Groaning, he sits up and tilts his head to identify the owner of the boots.

"You must be Teyla. Sorry we're a little late, we ran into some trouble."

"We have only just arrived ourselves," she replies, indicating at her companions standing nearby. "That was quite an entrance, Colonel."

His eyes flicker across the room and he notes just how many people had the pleasure of witnessing his team tumble down the enitre length of the ramp.

"Yeah, well, that's what happens when you throw yourself into a horizontal wormhole." He rises gingerly, running his fingers across a tender spot at the back of his neck as his attention is drawn to the opening blast door.

"I take it that the mission didn't go as planned?" The General takes in the dishevelled appearance of the team before turning his attention back to Cameron.

"Not so much, no. I think that we can safely cross that Gate address of the friendlies list, Sir. Besides, they were in the process of burying the Gate just as we went through."

"Well, get yourselves checked out and I'll do the formal introductions in the meeting room," he replies, smiling at their intergalactic visitors. Cameron can't help but notice the mixture of glares and smirks that he receives as the Atlanteans follow Landry out of the Gate room.

"What did I do?"

Teal'c pauses at his side and raises an eyebrow in amusement. "Perhaps they did not appreciate you throwing yourself at the feet of their team mate."

"It was a _horizontal_ gate. I didn't do it deliberately, I could have landed anywhere."

"Yes, you could have." Teal'c turns and continues on his way, calling over shoulder, "But you did not."

He pauses for a moment before following his team mates to the infirmary. "Hey, what's that supposed to mean?"


End file.
